Here's how far the 10 bestselling cars and trucks can drive on an 'empty' gas tank

Warning: Driving your vehicle on low fuel or an empty tank
can damage your ride or even lead to a crash.

The fuel gauge in your car or truck is lying to you.

Automobile manufacturers build in about a gallon (3.8 liters) of
reserve fuel beyond the "empty" line. They also warn about low
fuel long before a vehicle runs out, since they know that
people procrastinate — especially when it comes to forking over
money.

But those manufacturers are looking out for drivers: Running
out of fuel can leave you stranded or cause a crash on the
road, and can also damage expensive auto parts.

Ed Mosher is a retired automotive repair specialist and engine
performance expert — and the father of a co-author of this
story. "The really important thing, especially with newer
cars, is that they have an electric fuel pump, and fuel is used
to cool that pump as it works," he told Business Insider. "So if
the weather is hot and you run low on fuel, you risk burning out
a fuel pump real quick."

Cold weather can also be problematic if your fuel runs low.

"The air inside the gas tank can form condensation, and that
could foul the fuel with moisture," said Mosher. "This can cause
fuel injector-firing problems, ice crystals around the fuel pump,
and driveability problems. It happens rarely, thanks to additives
in the fuel that basically keep it from freezing. But it's a
risk."

Either way, replacing a fuel pump can cost about $1,000 to
$2,000, he said.

Automobile manufacturers rarely disclose how far their makes and
models can go when the low-fuel warning light kicks on or the
fuel gauge dips past "E". Nevertheless, enough people have risked
damage and accidents to find out. The website TankOnEmpty.com collects data
and stories from drivers in an attempt to answer those
questions, according to
Digital Journal.

Your browser does not support the video tag.
Skye Gould/Business Insider

Of course, the way
the site collects data isn't ironclad, since anyone can
contribute and skew results — intentionally or unintentionally.
Also, people who brake frequently and accelerate rapidly burn a
lot more fuel than someone who uses cruise control and drives
within the speed limit.